In 2004, there were 24 This American Life episodes.
- Episode 256 â "Living Without"
- Act 1: Do You Hear What I Hear? â Nubar Alexanian
- Act 2: The Journalism of Deprivation â Sarah Vowell
- Act 3: The Call of the Great Indoors â Chelsea Merz
- Act 4: Tin Man â Judith Budnitz
- Episode 257 â "What I Should've Said"
- Act 1: Freeze Frame â Jonathan Goldstein
- Act 2: In the Bush Leagues â Charles Monroe-Kane
- Act 3: A Can of Worms â David Sedaris
- Act 4: Life Sentence â Mike Miller
- Episode 258 â "Leaving the Fold"
- Act 1: I've Got a Secret I've Been Hiding From You â Alex Blumberg
- Act 2: God and Hockey â Ira Glass
- Act 3: Nuns Amok â Susan Drury
- Episode 259 â "Promised Land"
- Act 1: Across the Street from Heaven â Starlee Kine
- Act 2: Life in the Fast Lane â David Rakoff
- Act 3: Mystery Train â Hillary Frank
- Episode 260 â "The Facts Don't Matter"
- Act 1: Straight Eyes on the Quirin Guys â Chris Neary
- Act 2: Mush Polling â Sarah Koenig
- Episode 261 â "The Sanctity of Marriage"
- Act 1: What Really Happens in Marriage â Ira Glass
- Act 2: The Defense of Marriage Act â Adam Felber
- Act 3: I Want to be a Statistic â Starlee Kine
- Episode 262 â "Miracle Cures"
- Act 1: Changing the Channeler â Davy Rothbart
- Act 2: The Entities Known as The Food and Drug Administration â Ira Glass
- Episode 263 â "Desperate Measures"
- Act 1: Hasta La Vista, Arnie â Scott Miller
- Act 2: We Built This City on Rock and Coal â Ira Glass
- Act 3: The Router Less Taken
- Act 4: The Rocks at Rock Bottom â Hillary Frank
- Episode 264 â "Special Treatment"
- Show description: On the ethics and reality of preferential treatment
- Act 1: Lunchtime with the King of Ketchup â Jonathan Goldstein
- Act 2: Except for that One Problem, it's Perfect â Gregory Warner
- Act 3: Mommie's Psychic Helper â Aimee Phan
- Act 4: The Way to a Boy's Heart Is Through His Stomach â Lisa Carver
- Episode 265 â "Fake Science"
- Show description: On cranks, distortions of science, and the application of pseudo-scientific methods to questions outside the realm of science
- Act 1: Spook Science â Jake Warga
- Act 2: Government Science â Alex Blumberg
- Act 3: Beauty Science â Adam Sternbergh
- Act 4: Radio Science â Brent Runyon
- Episode 266 â "I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help"
- Show description: On the work of private defense contractors in post-invasion Iraq
- Act 1: Airport â Nancy Updike
- Act 2: Hank â Nancy Updike
- Act 3: Green Zone â Nancy Updike
- Act 4: Electricity â Nancy Updike
- Act 5: Karen â Nancy Updike
- Act 6: Cops â Nancy Updike
- Act 7: Hank Redux â Nancy Updike
- Episode 267 â "Propriety"
- Show description: On civility, profanity, and the Federal Communications Commission
- Act 1: Government Says the Darnedest Things â Ira Glass
- Act 2: Dems Gone Wild! â Ken Kurson
- Act 3: Swiss Near-Miss â Samantha Hunt
- Episode 268 â "My Experimental Phase"
- Act 1: That's Funny, You Don't Look Jewish â David Segal
- Act 2: Miami Vices â Sascha Rothchild, Mortified
- Episode 269 â "Someone to Watch Over Me"
- Act 1: Doctoring the Doctor â Jo Giese
- Act 2: The Over-Protective Kind
- Act 3: Are You a Man or a Mouse? â Aimee Bender
- Episode 270 â "Family Legend"
- Act 1: Take My Cheese, Please â Ira Glass
- Act 2: We Don't Talk About That â Kevin O'Leary
- Act 3: Admissions â Katia Dunn
- Episode 271 â "Best Interests"
- Act 1: I'd Rather Not â Ira Glass
- Act 2: Exodus of One â Alex Kotlowitz
- Episode 272 â "Big Tent"
- Show description: On the Republican Party during the campaign season preceding the U.S. presidential election, 2004
- Act 1: Pink Elephant â Patrick Howell
- Act 2: Right and Righter â Alex Blumberg
- Act 3: Indecent Proposal â Shane DuBow
- Act 4: It's My Party
- Episode 273 â "Put Your Heart In It"
- Show description: On motivation and passion, especially regarding career choices
- Act 1: Farm Eye for the Farm Guy â George DeVault
- Act 2: Diary of a Long-shot â Teal Krech
- Act 3: Contrails of My Tears â Brett Martin
- Episode 274 â "Enemy Camp '04"
- Show description: On the Iraq war and the war on terrorism (a discussion with James Fallows and Richard Perle), the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, and parasites
- Act 1: Our Own Worst Enemy? â Ira Glass
- Act 2: Confession â Carl Marziali
- Act 3: Blood Agent â Ira Glass
- Act 4: And I Love Her â Etgar Keret
- Episode 275 â "Two Steps Back"
- Show description: On the decline of Washington Irving Elementary School in Chicago, once a model for success in public education reforms
- Act 1: 1994 â Ira Glass
- Act 2: 2004 â Ira Glass
- Episode 276 â "Swing Set"
- Show description: On swing voters, who were thought to play an important role in the U.S. presidential election, 2004, which took place a few days after the episode first aired
- Act 1: My Buddy, Hackett â Ira Glass
- Act 2: Cold-Cock the Vote â Jack Hitt
- Act 3: One Son, One Vote â Sarah Koenig
- Act 4: He's Got Legs â Lisa Pollak
- Episode 277 â "Apology"
- Show description: On apologizing
- Act 1: Repeat After Me â David Sedaris
- Act 2: Dial "S" for Sorry â Ira Glass
- Act 3: Two Words You Never Want to Hear From Your Doctor â Starlee Kine
- Episode 278 â "Spies Like Us"
- Show description: On surveillance and eavesdropping by private citizens
- Act 1: The Lobbyist â Burt Covit
- Act 2: Life With the Haters â Beth Lisick
- Act 3: Mystery Shoppers â Lisa Pollak
- Act 4: Stop Bugging Me â Jane Feltes
- Episode 279 â "Auto Show"
- Show description: On dB drag racing, vehicle theft, car salespeople, and elderly drivers
- Act 1: Crunk in the Trunk â David Segal
- Act 2: Baby You Can't Drive My Car â Jamie Kitman
- Act 3: Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Be Alarmingly Familiar â Curtis Sittenfeld
- Act 4: Not Your Father's Chevrolet Salesman â Sarah Koenig
- Act 5: End of the Road â Lisa Pollack
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